Whats behind the mask
by AtomicFlounder
Summary: Squid finds spongebob in jellyfosh feilds at night.. But hes not fishing, there are other reasons for why he comes to jellyfish feilds.. A place where he could be alone and show his true emotions..
1. Chapter 1

**Small thing i had.. Not the best.. N not meant to be the best.. Just an idea that came to mind.. It got weak tho somewhere in here…**

 **You know Spongebob has to have his days, he can't smile every five mins.. But he kinda has to in public because if ppl see him mad or sad.. They bitch at him and blame him for shit..**

 **Like in the episode.. Stuck in the wringer.. We can discuss that later cuz i really don't feel like it rn..**

 **So he pretty much just puts on an act.. Imo..**

 **I'm too tired rn to talk about other things but we can in the comments.. Like how sb might actually hate himself and wish he wasn't born.. Etc..**

 **Anyways heres this kinda short.. Thing..**

Squidward sighed as he walked through Jellyfish fields, stopping just at an edge as he stared out at the moon as it lit up the sky.

He couldn't figure out why he was here, why his feet had carried him this far, he couldn't get to sleep and figured he might as well take a walk, and see if itd tire him out.

But, why take him to Jellyfish fields, with his luck, he'd get stung and sent to the hospital, or worse, he'd run into.. him.

But, it was beautiful out, the stars in the sky, everyone asleep, it was so peaceful, he could just fall asleep here, well it was almost peaceful.

His ears had suddenly perked up, hear sounds of someone sniffling, as if they were crying.

He looked around for the around but found that he was still alone, maybe it was all in his head, until he seen a rock being tossed out into the opening a few feet down from behind a bigger bolder.

He gulped, thinking that it could be a wild animal, when he poked his head round to see that it was his stupid yellow neighbor, sitting with his back facing him.

"Spongebob?!" Squidward questioned having him jump around to see who snuck up on him, he had tears streaming down his face, he looked to have been crying for a while.

He quickly turned back around, wiping his face before he stood up and turned to him, smiling as if he hadn't even been crying just now.

"Oh, hey Squid.. I didn't expect to see you here.. Mm what are you doing out of bed this late?" He asked while Squidward just stares at him.

"I could ask you the same." He said as he crossed his arms, and Spongebob sighed, looking away, he scratched the back of his head.

"I couldn't sleep.. Had too much stuff on my mind." he said as he started to slouch, his lip starting to quiver.

Squidward groaned, he hated seeing the kid cry, it was so annoying, "well, i guess i should get going" he said as he turned around to leave before he felt a tug at his shirt, looking to find that the sponge had a hold of his shit.

"Spongebob will you.." "Sorry.. I just, nevermind." He shook his head as he let go of him, wiping his eyes before he just turned around and started to walk away. Squidward sighed, rubbing his face before he walked after him.

"What is it, Spongebob." he said as he stood behind him as the sponge stood at the edge Squidward had just been standing at, one wouldn't have even guessed that the sponge had even thought about stepping off.

The sponge stared down at the drop, wiping his nose, "Have you ever just, had enough?" he asked, biting his lip as he stared down at his feet, "Enough of what?" Squidward asked as he crossed his arms, and the sponge shrugged.

"Of everything, life.." he said as he flopped his arms at his sides, "Pretending to be something you're not, everyone hates me, they don't even want me around." he said as Squidward stepped up next to him.

"Where are you getting this?" Squidward asked, and Spongebob just sighed, "I dunno, I just.. I can never do anything right, I can see it in their eyes, i'm a failure, no one.. sometimes i just wish, that I'd never been born, than maybe everything will be better for everyone else and.. my father wouldn't have had to work so hard, if they hadn't have had me, they could have more children, my dad wouldn't hate me.." more tears left his eyes.

"Spongebob, you're not thinking right, there's people who like you, and i'm sure your dad loves-" "You know he told me that he wished that i had died that night my mother had me?" he looked at him, and Squidward just glanced off to the side.

Spongebob sighed, "My grandmother is sick.. seems like everything is starting to fall apart, i don't know how much more of this i can take, im breaking Squidward." he said, "i keep trying to hold everything together but.. everytime i do, it just comes back to this." he said as he gestured to the spot around him.

"Maybe everything would be better if I-" he began to step over, but scoffed and stepped back before Squidward could catch him, "It wouldn't matter anyways.. i've tried it, never works.." he said, and Squidward shook his head.

"wait a minute, you've attempted.." he couldn't bare to say the word, and Spongebob smiled, "at least three times, but, you see, i'm still here, unharmed." he said as he gestured towards his small body.

"Spongebob, this is serious, why haven't you talked to anyone about this, you think that people hate you when, we all love you, this place would be a wreck without you." he said, and Spongebob shook his head.

"Seems like i'm the glue that holds everything together- if I said anything, you think people would treat me the same? They'd think i was sick, and blame their issues on me, if they already haven't."

"at this point, i might as well get a job as a doormat." he said as he swept his hand away, "I know, i worry too much about what others think, hmm what else is there to do, im supposed to be this, Perfect guy, whos never mad, or sad, who loves his low pay job, but.. stuff gets to me too sometimes, i'm not as Stupid as everyones thinks I am." he said, before he sighed, rubbing his tired eyes.

"sorry, I shouldn't be talking to you about this stuff.. i came here, looking to cry my heart out.. and now that i've kind of done that, i might as well go home and try to sleep so i can put on a happy face tomorrow." he said as he walked past him.

"and maybe you should too.. it's getting cold out." he said as he looked up at the sky before he disappeared into the darkness, leaving Squidward behind, he didn't even know what to make of this, hearing what he'd said, it changes everything.

* * *

Squidward stood at his station, looking towards the glass doors, he hadn't seen the sponge all morning, normally, he wouldn't care, it was known for him to sleep in on random days, but after last night.

He was worried about him, he bit his lip, the place was empty, he didn't want to admit that he'd even left him messages, wondering if he was ok. Squidward looked to Eugene who was standing beside him, counting the money in the register.

"Have you seen Spongebob?" Squidward asked, "Not that i care or anything, it just.. isn't like him to miss work." Squidward said, krabs shook his head, "Lazy son of a- he called last night, telling me that he was gonna be late, that he needed some time to himself.. i oughta fire em, i'm losing money because of em." he said.

"Time to himself?" Squidward asked, "Do you think hes ok?" Squidward asked him, and Eugene shrugged, "How should i know." "well, he's your trusted employee, i'd figure you'd care enough to check and see how he was feeling."

"You know, yer asking a lot about the lad, what ya aint in love with em or anything are ya?" he asked, "What, no! I just.. something wasn't right about him last night." he said before their attention was than brought to the door as the sponge of the hour walked in, throwing on his hat, smiling as if nothing happened last night.

"Hey Mr. krabs, hey.. Squidward." he said while not once losing his smile, but he could read it in his eyes, he was still.. he wasn't the same sponge he knew just the other day, but instead he was a sick sponge, who needed help.

"Are you ok, Spongebob?" Squidward asked, and Spongebob shrugged, "Yeah i'm fine, why?" he asked, and Squidward just stared at him, "You came in late, i almost thought that you-" he looked down at the register.

"Oh, yeah no, im fine, dont worry about it, sorry about last night, i wasn't myself." he said, and Squidward sighed, not sounding convinced, "Really, Squid.. i'm fine, you don't have to worry about it."

"what happened between you two last night, ya two are actin as if yer hidin something." "it's nothing, sir, we were just talking.." Spongebob answered before he looked to Squidward, before looking to the first customer that walked up to them.

"I better get in the kitchen." he said before he slipped past them and into the swinging door of the kitchen.

* * *

 **hmm, well idk how this turned out, but i'm tired now, and i'm gonna go to bed, so night..**


	2. Chapter 2

Squidward sighed as he sat awake in his bed, staring up at the canopy, unable to sleep for some reason, he didn't know why, it was quite, and had been quite for the past six hours that he'd been home, he was able to practice and paint, without a single distraction, well, there was One distraction.

Neither of his neighbors had come to bother him, the day had been peaceful. Spongebob had been almost silent throughout the day at work, only really saying anything when he had to hand him the cooked orders, or to confirm the order.

He didn't want to believe things between him and the kid had changed, but, something had, ever since, that night. Sure, the boy acted 'normal' smiling and laughing, as if nothing had happened, because nothing DID happen, or at least, that's what he kept telling himself.

Ever since that day, he'd been unable to really sleep in peace without the slightest feeling of dread, but towards what? Towards him? What could he be afraid of? He said he was fine, he smiled, and laughed with his friends, cooked as if nothing was wrong, but, wasn't that something he'd said? Or along the lines Of, it was an act, all of it was, it was expected of him to be, happy.

Squidward sighed as he turned on his side, looking out the window at the dark Pineapple nextdoor, it was never this dark at this time of night, hmm, well, it was midnight, but, still, just looking at the place made him feel sick.

Maybe he should call him, see if he was alright, sitting up to reach for the phone beside his bed, dialing the number but resisted pressing call. What was he doing!? Acting as if he cared about Spongebob, he was alright, he was fine.

He would wake up to his fog horn in the morning, like he always did, hmm well, not always. The day after that night had scared him he could no longer deny, the thought of Spongebob attempting to kill himself, and succeeding, was almost too much to bare.

He bit his lip, the phone shaking in his hand, he'd be fine, he would be. He sighed as he placed the shell phone on the stand beside him, rubbing his face, he had to use the bathroom, hmm, maybe if he took a bath, it'd get his mind off things.

Squidward sighed as he lowered himself down in the deep tub, letting it raise up to his nose before he laid back and tried to relax.

"Have you ever just.. had enough?" Spongebob's voice echoed through his head, he closed his eyes, "..Of what?" he asked, ".. life." Spongebob answered back, Squidward opened his eyes as he could remember something from earlier, when Spongebob had come in this morning.

xx

"He's Late again!" Eugene bitched as he looked at his watch, Spongebob should have been here almost two hours ago, he didn't say anything, not a call or anything, had something happened along the way?

Or had he.. the door squeaked open as the boy dragged his feet on the green floor boards, he didn't look too good, like he hadn't gotten any sleep the night before, he was soaked, like he had just gotten out of a shower, and didn't have time to dry off and comb his hair.

"Sorry I'm late sir, somethin came up.. but, Im here." Spongebob said with a salute as he approached the boat, Eugene shook his head, "There's a schedule for a reason Boy! If ye can't bother showin up for work on time, then dont bother coming in at all, there are hundreds of other fry cooks ready ta take yer spot." krabs poked him.

"Really?" Spongebob asked as he looked at his boss, "So.. am I fired?" he asked, Eugene sighed, "I'm takin two hours worth of yer pay for wastin me time, and that bein nice, but any after this, ye can kiss yer grill goodbye." Eugene said before he turned away and walked back to his office.

Squidward stared at the boy who stood there, he looked broken, wiping his eyes with his wrists which was wrapped with some strange bandage before he looked at Squidward, and straightened himself before putting on a smile, "Another day, another nickel." he laughed before he made his way to the kitchen.

xx

"Maybe everything would be better if I-" Squidward sighed, draping his arm over his tired eyes as new images flashed across his mind, wondering how he'd ended up with those bandages, and how at some point during their shift at work, he had to change them because they had somehow, became a reddish color.. blood?

He heard a sharp slice, and than something metal fall to the floor, he couldn't have done it, he just couldn't have, he didn't want to think that the boy had cut himself, on purpose anyways, maybe he had cut, or burned himself last night when he was making himself dinner.

"Three times.." he heard him say, he looked out the dark bathroom window, he sat up, he couldn't relax, for the first time in ever whenever he had this much time to himself, which was rare, but it was, too quite, and it ruined the mood, he thought about closing the blinds but, what would be the point, he'd still know that stupid pineapple would still be there.

He wrapped a towel around himself as he stood to get out, stopping to look at his phone that sat on the nightstand, sighing under his breath, it'd keep bugging him until he called, he'd pick up, and when he did, he'd just hang up, say it was the wrong number, simple as that.

"Hello, you've reached the house of 'Spongebob Squarepants' and, "Meow" Gary, Im sorry we're not able to reach the phone at the moment, but you can leave-" he hung up, "Maybe he was just sleeping, and couldn't hear the phone, yeah, that's what it was, he was sleeping.

He sat back down on his bed, trying to close his eyes but, he couldn't sleep, he felt sick to his stomach, he's just taken a bath, it wasn't even hot and he was already sweating, he rubbed his head, rubbing his eyes, he hadn't even heard from him all night, or most of the week for that matter, he left him alone, he wasn't even Here and he still bothered him.

What was he supposed to do? Did he really expect himself to go over there? Really? Spongebob would be fine, he always was, he'd see him tomorrow at work, but he still couldn't shake this feeling.

He shook his head as he tugged on a shirt and jacket before he headed over to his house, "I should give that stupid Spongebob a piece of my mind, making me walk over to his stupid house, this late at night." he bickered, though he wouldn't really, the sponge wasn't even talking to him, which was odd.

It was colder outside than he thought it'd be, the chill of the night freezing through his veins, he felt uneasy, looking at that giant pineapple as he approached it.

He knocked on the door, calling his name, but got no answer, and found the door locked as well, which was strange, he never really kept his doors locked, hm, he began to pound harder, "Spongebob!" he shouted through the door, but still got no answer until he heard Gary's meow from behind him.

He jumped, "Gary? What are you doing out here? Where's Spongebob?" he asked as he looked at the door, "And why are you out here, and not in there, is he ok? Can you unlock the door?" he asked as Gary went in the pet door to unlock the door for him.

Squidward sighed as he stepped in the dark pineapple, turning on one of the lights, he called for him again, but didnt get an answer, he must've been upstairs, he could hear the shower running from down here, and that could explain why he didn't answer the door.

Squidward slowly made his way up the stairs with his tentacle pressed to his chest, he swallowed hard, looking behind him, hmm maybe he should turn around and leave, the sponge was taking a shower, it'd be rude to disturb his privacy, even though that's all the sponge ever did to him.

Just because of that one thing, didn't mean anything, he could walk in his bathroom, and find him just naked, taking a bath, and not.. he stopped thinking when he almost tripped on an empty white bottle that had been left on one of the steps on the way up.

He hesitated to pick it up, moving it with his foot, it was empty, why was it empty? He picked it up, reading over, he bit his lip, letting it slip from his hand where it bounced down each step, as he looked up the stairs.

His stomach dropped, there was no way, he couldn't have possibly, he ran up the stairs, shouting his name, bursting into the room, the only source of light, came through the bedroom window, the bathroom door was shut.

Squidward bit his lip, he could barely move, afraid of what could be beyond the bathroom door, but, he had to, he had to see if he was ok. He let the door creak open, finding him in the tub, the water only a few inches from covering his nose.

"Sp, Spongebob?" Squidward croaked, but he didn't get a response, was he sleeping, or was he.. he turned the water off before he reached to drag him out, throwing him on the floor, where he spit out some water.

Spongebob groaned, barely able to open his tired eyes, it seemed almost painful to even do so, and why should he, he felt so tired, he could pass out now, he could barely hear Squidward's voice, it was as if his head was under water, which, also wasn't wrong since.. they lived in the ocean but.. you get the point.

He felt himself being lifted up a little as Squidward lifted him on his lap, "Wh, what? Sorry, i, i can't.. hear you." he said, sounding almost out of breath, "I, im, i'm so.. huh, tired." he said before he went limp.

Nn yes this will be continued, at some point..


End file.
